Ruling Party Opens Door to Unification in Ulsan... Conservatives Move Forward for Now

Democratic Party and Progressive Party Unite in Ulsan and Busan
Kim Sangwook and Kim Jonghun to Hold Primary Based on Opinion Polls
Progressive Unification Intensifies Ulsan Mayoral Race
Unified Opposition Talks Remain Stalled

With the 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June 3, Ulsan Metropolitan City is abuzz with talk of candidate unification. The Democratic Party of Korea has continued to consolidate its base, following its previous agreement with the Rebuilding Korea Party, by reaching a new unification deal with the Progressive Party. In contrast, the People Power Party has failed to bridge the gap with Park Maengwoo, an independent candidate who decided to run after being cut from the party's nomination process.

Cho Seung-rae, Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Korea (third from left), and Shin Chang-hyun, Secretary General of the Progressive Party (second from left), are posing for a commemorative photo after signing an agreement on election cooperation and candidate unification for the June 3 local elections in Ulsan Metropolitan City and Yeonje District, Busan Metropolitan City, at the National Assembly on the 15th.

On the 15th, the Democratic Party of Korea held a press conference at the National Assembly and announced that it would unify candidates with the Progressive Party in Ulsan and the Yeonje District of Busan. Cho Seung-rae, Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated, "We agreed to unify in order to increase our chances of victory, even if only by 1%." The two parties will select unified candidates for Ulsan mayor, heads of local governments, some metropolitan council members in Ulsan, and the head of Yeonje District in Busan through a primary process. For the mayoral race in Ulsan, the head of Dong-gu District will be a Progressive Party candidate, while the heads of Buk-gu and Jung-gu Districts will be Democratic Party of Korea candidates, according to their agreement.

For the Ulsan mayoral race, Democratic Party candidate Kim Sangwook will compete against Progressive Party candidate Kim Jonghoon in a primary based entirely on public opinion polls. Kim Sangwook had already achieved a round of unification following the withdrawal of Hwang Myungpil, the preliminary candidate from the Rebuilding Korea Party, the previous day. Later in the day, Kim Jonghoon and Kim Sangwook are scheduled to hold a press conference at the Ulsan City Council to announce their joint statement regarding the unification agreement. According to the Democratic Party of Korea, the goal is to finalize the unification before the official campaign period begins on the 21st.

If the unification is completed, the race for Ulsan mayor is expected to become even more competitive. According to a poll conducted by Public Opinion Research at the request of KBS Ulsan and Ulsan Maeil Newspaper on May 4-5, which surveyed 804 Ulsan residents aged 18 or older (using wireless ARS and wired RDD methods, with a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level), the combined support rate for Kim Sangwook (32.9%) and Kim Jonghoon (14.2%) amounts to 47.1%. The support rate for People Power Party candidate Kim Dugyeom was 37.1%.

While calls for a unified opposition candidate have grown, Park Maengwoo registered his candidacy the previous day. Although there had been behind-the-scenes talks about unification between Park and Kim Dugyeom, no agreement was reached. Park also ran as an independent in the 2022 local elections after being excluded from the party's nomination process, but eventually withdrew in favor of then-candidate Kim Dugyeom. If the opposition fails to form a coalition, the race will become a three-way contest among the progressive bloc, Kim Dugyeom, and Park Maengwoo.

A representative from Kim Dugyeom's campaign commented, "The ball is now effectively in Park's court regarding unification," and added, "Of course, the situation could change rapidly, and there is still room for further discussions, which we are hoping for." It is known that Park Maengwoo's camp is conducting its own internal polling.

For more detailed information on the above poll, please refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.